Scouting Book

Top Baseball Prospects for 2015

Now updated for 2015's Top Prospects

Scouting Book's Top Prospects list is a Combined List, a calculated summary of the overall valuations of the entire prospect universe.

Remember: this page is the result of an automatic process that re-sorts and re-ranks players often. If you're coming to this page directly, you're missing 9/10ths of what we do, so please
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RHP

Currently

92

RHP

Currently

93

A protege pitching machine from the Dominican Republic, Royals prospect Miguel Almonte outclassed his peers in his first taste of American pro ball in 2013, rocketing into the league's ERA leaders and all the way to the Futures Game. Almonte leans heavily on the give-and-take of his mid-90's fastball (that's the give) and near-plus changeup (that's the take), leaving a frustrated pile of would-be hitters in his wake. His breaking ball, a slurvy slider (or maybe it's a hard curve) is nothing special, but it's coming along, and if the fastball-change combo keeps looking this good, he won't need it much anyway. A poor man's Felix Hernandez? Maybe.

OF

Currently

94

A high-school running back with plus speed and great instincts in the outfield, Milwaukee prospect Tyrone Taylor could yet grow into a corner, though right now he looks like future leadoff material. Shaking off doubts he could handle pro pitching, Taylor slashed a combined .387/.434/.667 in two Rookie league stops in 2012, opening the door for A-ball and ungodly breaking stuff. He cranked a .274/.338/.400 line at A-level Wisconsin, with 8 homers in 485 at-bats. He'll probably open 2014 back in A-ball, though a hot start could see an early promotion here. He's still a couple of years away.

SS

Currently

95

A polished college shortstop from Texas, Hunter Dozier was selected eighth overall in the 2013 draft by the Kansas City Royals. Dozier ranked among the top ten in the Southland Conference in virtually every offensive category last season, and in 55 games this year, Dozier hit .396 with 17 homers and a dozen stolen bases. A right-handed hitter, Dozier has very strong hands, and while he's capable of turning on and pulling inside pitches, he does most of his best work by leaning on his plus bat control to hit liners to the opposite field and gap. A very good runner, he'll steal a few bases, but he's not a true plus-speed threat. In the field, he looks solid and capable of sticking at shortstop, assuming he doesn't outgrow the position: at 6-4 and 220, he's already pushing the envelope. He'll need a year or two in the minors to adjust to and master quality breaking stuff, but other than that asterisk, he looks to be the complete package.

RHP

Currently

96

SS

Currently

97

A headline acquisition as part of the trade of pitcher Matt Garza, Hak-Ju Lee is a big, powerful shortstop from Korea who's now prominently positioned in the Tampa Bay system. Already a polished hitter (.261/.336/.360 at AA Montgomery last year), Lee seems to have the footwork and arm to stick at shortstop, too, and he's shown improvement in the field every season. His 37 steals in 2012, a career best, is also a highlight worth remembering. As projected, he should get a shot at everyday Tampa life in 2013.

3B

Currently

99

OF

Currently

100

Another raw athlete in a draft filled to the brim with such potential, Ranger prospect Nick Williams fit the cliche perfectly: great natural tools and athleticism, good speed, strong arm, very raw skills, and a swing that shows glimmers of greatness... but also one full of more holes than a beer-league infield. While his game has tightened up a lot in the last year or so, he's still lacking some of the polish needed for the higher levels of pro ball. Give him another year or two.

Prospect Notes

9/17/2014: With a division title sewn up, the Orioles are calling up top first-base prospect Christian Walker for the season's final ten games. Walker, his long-promising power finally shining through, slashed .288/.357/.489 in a season split between double and triple-A.More on Walker >

CloserWatch Notes

Recent Closer News

Update: MLW: 2/27/2015

Francisco Rodriguez has signed a $13M, 2-year deal to return to the Milwaukee Brewers, according to MLB.com. K-Rod, who had a resurgence with the Brewers, will slide right back into the closing role, immediately providing clarity to what was a toss-up bullpen situation.

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